People often discuss the dangers of too much stress, but lately a very different view of stress is gaining popularity: this view of stress, held by members of the positive stress movement, argues that stress might actually be beneficial. The positive stress movement is made up of people such as Zachary Rapp who are looking for an edge in a competitive world, and Rapp’s routine is a good example of followers of the movement. He wakes up most mornings at dawn, goes for a run, sips black coffee while ripping through emails, and then steps into a freezing cold shower. This is a routine designed to reduce the stress of running simultaneously three different health and biotechnology companies for 18 hours a day.
Although Rapp’s practices may sound extreme, he is part of a growing movement, consisting largely of tech industry workers who claim that such radical tactics will help them live better and longer. Inspired by influential figures in different fields, including entertainers, athletes, entrepreneurs and scientists, positive stress practitioners seek out some combination of extreme temperatures, restrictive diets, punishing exercise routines and general discomfort.
Rapp argues that positive stress keeps him balanced. In addition to running and freezing showers, Rapp uses ice baths, hot yoga, and unconventional eating practices such as eliminating dairy, sugar, alcohol, and various other foods high in carbohydrates. He believes that these practices, which put stress on his body, actually make him feel less stress from work. However, Rapp does not credit anyone in particular for his choices: he said he started using these methods in college, where he got into the habit of taking ice baths to recover from sports. He got back into it while trying to get his three companies off the ground.
Rapp works long hours and sleeps only five to seven hours a night but he said he only gets sick once a year. For him, the difference between day-to-day stress, like the kind we feel when moving apartments, and positive stress is that the latter involves pushing the body to extremes and forcing it to build up a tolerance.
One thought leader in the positive stress world is Dutch extreme athlete Wim Hof, who earned the name “ice man” for his ability to withstand severe cold using deep breathing exercises. Hof’s ideas have become popular among tech industry elites and, thanks to Hof, cold showers are now a trend; indeed, some even call it a form of therapy.
But it is important to note that not everyone agrees with these practitioners; indeed, some medical professionals argue that positive stress is not for everyone, and that it might even be dangerous for people who are unhealthy or older.
